Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies, Part · Chapter 2 · Section 12 [i.e. 11]
#Sect. 12. The Croſſe is condemned as a ſuperſtitious ceremonie: as ſuperſtitious wil-worſhip, and for a ſuperſtitious Ceremonie, and wil-worſhip Sacramentall.
HAuing examined our borrowing, come we to the ſigne which we hauehave borrowed, where that eueryevery man may ſee what a great catch we hauehave gotten in him, we araigne him firſt for a Superſtitious ceremonie. Secondly, for a Superſtitious wil-worſhip. Laſtly, for a Superſtitious ceremonie and wil-worſhip Sacramentall. Concerning the firſt. The duties of a right ceremonie (reſpecting the Church) require an aptnes to edifie the ſame through decency and order. 1. Cor. 14.33.40. ve. 11.5.13. v.Neither hath the Church any authoritie to paſſe this bound, as within which God hath intrencht all humane power, to which ouraPet. Martyr in 1. cor. 14. Danaeus Aethic. li. 2. cap. 1. writers doe conſent. Now how can our ceremonies in queſtion be ſuch, the rule holding whereon the Diuines of Germany ſtood againſt the ceremonies then enforced. The bIoachim. Weſtphal. in explicat. ſentent. è duob. ma. lis minimū Illyric. in. lib. de. Adiaphor.ceremonies which hauehave bene abuſed to Superſtition, can neuer ſerue for order or comelineſſe: Becauſe they will breede a confuſion betweene vsus and the Papiſtes, and bring in Superſtition, and in themſelues are as vndecent for the holy ſpouſe of Chriſt, as an harlots weede is for a graue Matrone? What that theſe ceremonies that hauehave bene abuſed this way are vaine and light, and hated of good men? What that the introducing of them diſturbe the Churches that hauehave diſcontinued them? and ſet the churches that do nouriſh them in their booſomes in a combuſtion of endles contentions? What that they ſtaine many worthy Miniſters either with the ſlaunder of diſobedience (if they refuſe them) or with the blot of inconſtancie, if they vſe them? This very laſt (though it ſeeme little) is great vnſeemelineſſe. For the lawes which are made for decencie, preuent reuealing of all nakednes in thoſe that aſcend to the Altar of the Lord; and forbid the ſhauing away of any ornament of their head, Deut. 22.12 Exod. 20.26. 1. Cor. 11.5.who are to ſtand in the preſence of God, whereas theſe ceremonies yeelded vntounto, againſt former ſinceritie, both diſcouer the weakneſſe of preſent inconſtancie, and ſhaue away (as it were) the glory of former faithfulnes; and that in and from them that ſhould be neareſt to the Lord. Secondly, a right ceremonie reſpecteth euen the aliens themſelues, & not the church of God only; where his duetie is to ſeparate and make diſtinction. For we muſt make the Lord our paterne, whoſe very ciuill ceremonies thēſelues ſerue to this vſe, not only religious. Do the heathens eat almoſt none but ſwines fleſh after they hauehave ſacrificed of the kinde? Leuit. 21.5.the people of God muſt of all other abhorre this meate. Doe the heathens make their pates balde, ſhaue the lockes of their beards, and make cuttings in their fleſh? The people of God muſt of all other abhorre this guiſe. Do the heathens vſually reſerue portions of the Sacrifices? the people of God muſt burne with fire that is left, Exod. 12.10.rather then leaue any one peece of the Paſchall Lambe vntounto the next morning. And whereas he forbiddeth them to marrie with the Cananite; whereas he bandeth them in eternall hatred againſt the Amalechite; whereas he barreth them to admit the Moabite and the Ammonite to any preferment in his congregation: Deut. 23.3.whereas he inhibith them to goe backe to Aegypt the ſame way they came thence: Deut. 34.6.what doth he elſe, but euen in ciuill lawes and all, draw (nay dragge as it were) his Church from all co-partnerſhip with aliens in their cuſtomes? Other lawes there are of his, whoſe vſe doth ſerue to ſignifie ſo much, as when he forbiddeth the wearing of diuerſe ſtuffe together in one garment, Deut. 22.10. Leuit. 19.19. Deut. 22.5.the ploughing with an Oxe and an Aſſe together in one yoke, the mingling of diuerſe ſeedes together in one field, of diuerſe beaſts together in one foale. The abſtinence which he preſcribed from vncleane meats, what noted it elſe but holy purenes from all communion with vncleane Gentiles? he is abhominable that weareth apparell like the womans, For that herein he confoundeth Sexes, eſpecially when hee doth itcDecret. p. 1 diſtinct, 30 cap. 6. religiouſly (for who will not thinke this worſe, then when a woman ofdNie. Cragius. de reb. Lacredaeruon. tabula. 4. Inſtitut. 6. Lacedaemon doth it in priuat.) How then is it likely we ſhall be excuſed, that weare the apparell of the harlot of Rome, and vſe the ſigne of her Croſſe, which is her cheefe cognifance, when ariſeth a confuſion euen of Sectes. Laſtly, conſider the religious ceremonies themſelues which were ſhewed in the paterne vponupon the Mount. Were they not ſet as an [eIanſen. Concord. Euangelic. cap. 114. headge] to make a pertition betweene the Church and the aliens? Were they not ordained for a diuerſefZanch. de cult. extero. fol. 392.396. badge to ſequeſter Gods people from all other nations? Nay, were they not ſquared to be euen a [partition gRolloc. in epiſtol. ad epheſ. ca. 2. ver. 14.wall] betweene the Church and the forreners that were without? Laſt of all, were they not diſplayed for a flagge of defiance to make his people anhNichol. Gallaſ. in Exod. 8.26. ver. abhomination to all other nations, & all other nations an abhominatiō vntounto them. For inſtance take the Temple it ſelfe (the warehouſe and wardrop of all the reſt) which ſtandeth Weſtward cōtrarie to the Eaſtward Temples of the heathen; and that (which papiſtes themſelues can obſerue) ad lTho. Aquin. 1.2. qu. 3 art. 3 reſponſ. ad 5. Durant. de rit lib 1. cap. 3. ſect. vlt.arcendam Idololatriam. Whom ſhall we followe if we followe not this courſe? Not the Fathers. For Epiphanius in the end of his booke (ſaithmBellar. de effect. Sacrament. cap. 31. Bellarmine) which he wrote againſt hereſies, rehearſeth the ceremonies of the Church for certaine notes whereby the church is diſcerned from ſectes of all ſortes. Not the late Writers. For they condemne eueryeverynBucer. in Cenſur. cap. 25. peregrina Ceremonia: eueryeveryoPet Martyr in lib. Iudic. ca. 1. ritus peregrinus: eſpecially ſuch as came in pilgrimage frompIbid. fol. 34. poperie to vsus, as comming out of the verie ſtewes. What that the light of this trueth ſhineth in the heartes of papiſtes themſelues? The vſe ofqBellar. de effectu Sacram. c. 31. ceremonies rightly conſtituted and ordayned (ſay they) is to diſtinguiſh the members of the Catholique Church, from the heretiques that bee without. NeitherrCaeſar. Baron. Annal. in anno. 303. p. 769 would the Chriſtians hauehave vſed the ſigne of the Croſſe (ſay they) had it not bene proper vntounto Chriſtians and ſuch as did diſcerne them; yea make Pagans angrie with them. Whē the heretiques called Monophyſitae made the ſigne of the Croſſe with onesNiceph. Ca…iſt. hiſtor. li. 18. cap. 53. finger,tInnocent. lib. 2. de Sacram. altar. cap. 44. Innocētius (to be vnlike vntounto them) decreed this ſigne ſhould be made with two fingers. I conclude with the Lutherans: who notwithſtanding their manifold mixtures, when they contemplate the generall duetie of a ceremonie, are forced to giuegive witnes to vsus,uConrad. Schluſelburg. tom. 13. in epiſt. dedicat. We muſt not beare ſo much as a vizard of Rome (ſay they) in externall conformation of ceremonies. No not ſo much as a ſhew of Rome inwIoh. Wigand. in Synopſ. Antichriſt, Roman. ceremonijs ſiue omnibus ſiue aliquibus, ſiue maximis ſiue minimis. But we muſt auoyd (ſay they) eueryeveryxMath. Iudex. in lib. de graniſſ, mandat. ex eund. è Babilon. minutiſsimus Character of poperie: inſomuch that they much abhorred that poſitiō of the Adiaphoriſts touching the ceremonies which in their time were controuerſed. Quo propius Papae, eo melius. Let Maiſter Bucer ſhut vp all.yBucer. in Cenſur. cap. 3. p. 460. Omnia quae ſunt Antichriſti Romani habentur abhominationi, ſaltem quo ad externam ſpeciem, vtinam & reipſa poenitus. And thus ſinneth the ſigne of the Croſſe as it is a wrong ceremonie.